James gould



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES GOULD, JR., OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

CAN.'

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 574,730, dated January 5, 1897. Application filed May 5, 1896. Serial No. 590,287. (No model)l l'o @ZZ la7/1,0711, t 77ml/ concern:

Beit known that I, JAMES GOULD, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at Berkeley, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented an Improvement in Cans; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention relates to that class of canheads which have flanges adapted to be fitted eXteriorly to the can-body, and especially to those heads adapted by reason of a tearable flange for use on what are known as keyopening cans.

My invention consists of the construction and combination ofparts forming the impro ved can hereinafter described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an enlarged section of one side of head and can. Fig. 2 is an elevation showin g the complete can with the inserted tongue C. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the head, showing an integral tongue D. Fig. 4 is a view of key E.

A is a can.

B is the can-head, having an exteriorly-iitting flange Z2. This flange, Ona line between its free lower edge and its angle with the top and preferably nearer to the latter, is circumferentially grooved, as shown at b', and at the head or top of this groove and as near the an'- gle with the top of the can-head as may be said flange is circumferentially scored by a positive indentation b2, which forms a decided weakening-line wholly independent of whatever supposed weakening may be occasioned by the mere bending of the metal at the angle of top and flange, of which bending, as a line of tearing, practice has shown but precarious advantage can be taken. The indentation b2 consists, essentially, of two straight walls which produce a thin and severable line at their meeting angle and at a point inside of the outer periphery of the canhead, whereby said line is beneath and protected from. accidental rupture in packing and shipping by the upper straight portion of the flange.

A separate tongue C, inserted in a slit in the flange, as shown in Fig. 2, or a tongue D, integral with the flange, as shown in Fig. 3, may be used for the initial engagement of the key E in order to start the tearing.

In openin g the can, the key having engaged the tongue and the winding action of the former commenced, the rupture of the flange extends at once to the positively-scored line b2, and thereafter the tearing continues on this line entirely around the can-head, and said tearing is easy and, moreover, is absolu tely accurate, having no tendency whatever to leave said line, both because of its inherent weakness and because and principally of the underlying groove b', which prevents such inclined or tearing-out ruptures as usually and frequently occur in plain flanges, even where scored or weakened lines are provided. In practice I have found that the best form of this boundary-groove is one curved in sectionrather than angular, as it does not weaken the flange or present itself a weakened line by reason of an angle.

The groove Z1 by being made from the exterior inwardly acts as a limiting-stop for the downward fitting of the head by resting on the top edge of the can, so that the top of the head being elevated from the top of the can is not liable to be soldered thereto and is perfectly free when its flange is torn off to be removed.

I am aware that in cans of the key-opening class it is not new to provide their flanges with scores and other lines of reduced strength, nor to rely upon the weakening of the metal at the angle of the flange and top for a tearing-line even without a score,`nor to `provide the'flange with a ridge to strengthen it against rupture, thus confining the tearing to some part other than the ridge; but I am not aware of the provision in a can-head of a groove circumscribing its flange and a positive eircumferential score or indentation above said groove, with the line of severance inside of the plane of the outer periphery of the canhead, so as to be fully protected from accidental rupture. I do not therefore claim a scored flange or a ridged or reinforced flange, broadly; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

As an article of manufacture, a can consisting of a body and a head, said head havinga deep flange to t over the exterior of the body andhaving a portion between its lower edge and the angle formed with the top, provided with an inwardlybent portion curved in ICO cross-section, whereby its lower inner angle pending,1 from the top of the head, said last- With the lower straight portion of the flange named straight portion of the fiange adapted I5 forms a positive stop for limiting the projeeto be fitted over the top edge of the body after tion of the head upon the body, 2L positive the rieverable portion of the flange has been 5 circumferential indentation of a right-angnremoved whereby the head still serves as :i

lar forni in cross-section so as to produce a temporary cover for the can. tearing-line at the inner angle of the Walls In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 2o and at a point inside of the outer peripheryr hand.

of the can-head whereby it is protected from y f 1o accidental rnpture7 said indentation being JAMES GOULD 'TR' made in the flange at the point Where the np- Witnesses: per portion of the inwardly-bent portion JOHN V. ROURK,

forms an :ingle with :L stra-ight portion de- HARRY J. LASK. 

